Multiple impression printing means



Nov. 29, 1938. w. E. HAMLIN 2,138,096

MULTIPLE IMPRESSION PRINTING MEANS Filed May 9, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. wzfiw a flaw/1'11 6.9 @pt/w; -25 9 ATTORNEYJ;

Nov. 29, 1938. w. E. HAMLIN MULTIPLE IMPRESSION PRINTING MEANS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 9, 1935 INVENT OR.

( p of; 3 w 077 W ATTORNEY? Patented Nov. 29, 1938 MULTIPLE IMPBESSION rnnv'rnve MEA S Walter E. Hamlin, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to The Cleveland Shopping News Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application May 9, 1935, Serial M20500 6 Claims. (01. 270 5) In-successive impression or multiple color work, heretofore it has been customary to examine samples of the finished product at the delivery table of the press and then go back and apply correction 5 of register at the respective printing points. This incurs considerable lag in attaining necessary correction and also occasions waste which may be considerable in high speed presses. A quicker way of obtaining corrective adjustment has long been 10 desired, and particularly it is desirable to know the condition of the work before it goes to final folding. In accordance with the present invention, this now becomes possible.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and re- 1. lated ends, the invention, then, comprises the features hereinafterfully described; and particularly pointed out in the claims, the following descriptionaiid the annexed drawings setting forth" in detail certain illustrative embodiments of the 20 invention, these being indicative however, of buta few of the various ways in which the principle of the invention maybe employed.

In said annexed drawings:

- Fig. 1 is a schematic side elevational view 2 printing press mechanism embodyingthe-invention; Fig.- 2 is an enlarged transverse section thereof taken on a plane substantially indicated by a line 11-11, Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an enlarged elevational detail; Fig. 4 is a sectional detail on fur- 30 ther enlargedscale; Fig. 5 is a wiring diagram;

Fig. 6 is a vertical section taken on a plane substantially indicated-by line VI'-VI, Fig. 2; Fig. 7

is an enlarged sectional detail taken on a plane substantially indicated by line VII-VII, Fig. 6;

3 Fig. 8 is a section taken on a plane substantially indicated by line VIIIVIII, Fig. '7; and Fig. 9

is a transverse section taken on a plane substantially indicated by line IX-IX, Fig. 2.

In its general aspects, the invention contem- 40 plates a plurality of successive impression means of usual or desired character, involving printing,

lithographing, scoring, embossing, multi-color cylinders, etc., and register means including means for vising or viewing, and means for selec- 45 tively setting the relative adjustment between the sheet material being printed and the impression surfaces. In the form shown in the drawings,

there is a press mechanism including color cylinders A, B, C, through which a web of paper P 50 feeds successively, and thence to black printing cylinders D, E. From the latter, the paper web is directed to the folding and cutting end of the'machine, including folding rolls 2, 3, cutter rolls 4, and delivery rolls 5. Positioned at a point 5 subsequent to the last impression to be registered,

is a vising means which provides instantaneous glimpses of the rapidly moving paper web, such glimpses being timed in synchronism with the speed of the web, such that irrespective of its actual linear velocity, the view of the impressed 5 traveling web appears to the operator as though it were standing still. This vising means may be of mechanical or optical type, it being'requiredthat whether the glimpses of the rapidly moving web be through a mechanical shutter slit ora light 10 flash; synchronization or sufficient instantaneity be provided to give the optical result of a standstill view. In practical prefer a light-flash arrangement, since by this it is possible toattain a desirable degree of illumination at the same time. This may involvefor instance a source of illumination I! which maybe; neon tube of white light character preferably, thelight being mount;- ed'in a carrier close to the traveling face of the.

paper web. Associated with th'e'light-source is a viewing tube H which for convenience may beL- shaped with a reflecting mirror ii to direct the light rays to the eye of the operator at the observing-end ll. The-eye piece may include magnifying lenses, or not, as desired. With this, as so far described, it is readily understood that the operator standing at a point alongside the machine can view the rapidly moving paper web in the machine as though he were right over it. The light and the viewing tube are mounted on carriagemeans allowing accuracy of positioning, and this may include for instance suspending-brackets l5 extending from a suitable point of mounting above, andangular-adjustment brackets l6 pivoted to the latter and provided with amuate slot and clamping-nut adjustment means l'l intermediary, whereby the tube l2 and light I I may be brought intodesired angular adjustment with respect to the paper web P. Fore and aft adjustment is provided by a rack and pinion 20, H, in- 40 terposed between the bracket members l6 and the viewing tube l2, the latter being carried by holding strips 22 secured to a slide 23 which is mounted on the lower extension 24 of carriage members 25. The carriage members 25 travel on guide bars 26 extending across in front of the paper web, and adjustment of the slide is had by a hand-wheel 21 and screw-threaded shaft 28 taking through the carriage members 25, whereby on turning the hand-wheel the mounting of the light and viewing tube is moved in adjustment across the face of the paper web. Adjustment for distance is accomplished, as necessary by the hand-wheel-SO operating the slide 23 through the intermediary of the pinion 2| and rack 20. 5

etc., the entire assembly then The light-source I 0, where of neon tube character, may be actuated by a flashing circuit comprising a secondary winding 33 of a transformer T whose primary winding 34 is supplied by a suitable source of low potential current, for instance a battery 35. The transformer T and battery 35 may conveniently be placed upon the shelf s above the light and tube mounting. In circuit also with the primary winding and the current source is a commutator 36 which may comprise a body of insulation and a commutator bar 31 of copper or other suitable metal, arranged to be contacted by a pair of brushes 38, 39, carried on a brush holder 40. A convenient switch, as a double pole single throw switch 4| serves to control the circuit. The commutator brushes 38, 39 may be of rod-form, of carbon or graphite composition, and with a spring 42 suitably arranged, constant contact with the commutator is assured. The commutator 36 is carried by one of the shafts in the machine, such as to give properly timed contact for the closing of the circuit to produce the light flash upon the rapidly moving impressed paper web. In the form shown, the commutator is mounted on the shaft of one of the cutter rolls 4.

In operation, the web of paper is fed through the series of printing rolls A, B, C, andthe impressing or impression surfaces at A, B, C, for example, may apply successive color impressions, as in the three-color process, and the impression surfaces at D, E, may applyblack, as printing, providing colored illustrations and printed text.v With the paper web thus subjected to successive impressionapplying, surfaces, the operator views it in its rapid motion, as he sights through the eye piece H of the vising-tube. At the same time, the commutator bar.3l of the commutator on the cutter-roll is making rapid contact with brushes 38, 39, thereby completing the circuit of the primary winding of the transformer, and correspondingly providing impulses in the secondary circuit to the light-tube ID. The voltage here may be of any suitable order, for instance 15,000 volts. If conveniently-located regulating means be close at the hand of the operator,-he is thus in a position to regulate the register of the successive impression-applying rolls. For'example, a desirable means for this may comprise adjustable slack-r'olls 50', 5|, between successive impression-applying cylinders. With these, the paper web threads over the rollers 50, 5|, such as to provide a variable amount of slack between the successive printing cylinders, and by adjusting the angular position of roller 50 with respect to roller 5|, more or less of the slack may be used, and correspondingly the paper web may be advanced or retarded with respect to the succeeding impression-applying surface, and thus the point of application may be brought into accuracy of register. With a swing mounting of roller 50, as forinstance on swing-arms 52, and a hand-wheel 53 controlling a screw-threaded stem 54 taking into a nut 55, the angular position of the roller 50 may be simply and accurately controlled. It is thus unnecessary to wait until the finished product has gone clear through the machine before checking and adjusting the register. Rather, this may be accomplished as the web travels along from the successive impression-applying surface, and irrespective of the speed, immediate and accurate register-adjustment may be made with convenience by the operator.

Other modes of applying the principle of the invention may be employed, change being made as regards the details described. provided however, the features set forth in any of the following claims, or the equivalent of such, be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:-

1. In printing machinery having a series of cylinders for applying ink impressions in succession to a travelling web of paper and having means for regulating said travelling web so as to obtain accurate register of said impressions, viewing means for obtaining a standstill view of said web to ascertain the register of the printed impressions, said viewing means including means for flashing light on the web and means in synchronism with the speed of travel of said web for providing the flashes, said viewing means being located in operating reach of said regulator means.

2. In printing machinery having a series of cylinders for applying ink impressions in succession to a travelling web of paper and having means for regulating said travelling web so as to obtain accurate register of said impressions, folding and cutting means over which the printed web runs, means for obtaining a standstill view of said web to ascertain the register of the printed impressions and including means for flashing light on the web, and a commutator connected with said folding and cutting means for timing the flashes of light with the travel of the web.

3. In printing machinery having a series of cylinders for applying ink impressions in succession to a travelling web of paper and having means for regulating said travelling web so as to obtain accurate register of said impressions, folding and a series of cylinders transversely mounted therebetween for applying ink impressions in succession to a travelling web of paper and having means or regulating said travelling web so as to obtain accurate register of said impressions, folding and cutting means over which the printed web runs. means for intermittently flashing light on the web, means for timing the flashes of light with the travel of the web, a controlling-connection between said timing means and said light-flashing means, and a viewing tube sighting upon the travelling web between said cylinders and said folding and cutting means.

5. In printing machinery having spaced apart longitudinally extending framing elements and a series of cylinders transversely mounted therebetween for applying ink impressions in succession to a travelling web of paper and having means for regulating said travelling web so as to obtain accurate register of said impressions, folding and cutting means over which the printed web runs, means for intermittently flashing light on the web, means for timing the flashes of light with the travel of the web a controlling-connection between said timing means and said lightflashing means, and a sighting tube with one end facing the web and the other end extending 75 means for intermittently flashing light on the angulariy out as an eye piece accessible laterally of said framing elements.

6. In printing. machinery having spaced apart longitudinally extending framing elements and a series of cylinders transverselymounted therebetween for applylngink impressions in succession I to a travelling web of paper and having means for regulating said travelling web so as to obtain ac- I curate register of said impressions,v folding and m cutting means over which the printed web runs,

web, means for timing the flashes of light with the travel of the web, a controlling-connection between said timing means and said light-flashlng means, a sighting tube with one end facing the web out as an eye piece accessible laterally of said and the other end extending angularly framing elements, and means for adjusting said viewing tube with respect to the web.

WALTER E. HAMLIN. 

